Grader type earth moving and maintenance machines can be described as; a back power unit and a front arch unit which ends in a set of wheels and a grader blade suspended from the arch. Most graders are dedicated machines used almost exclusively for grading. However, it has long been possible to combine a front arch and a grader blade with a power unit which is also used for operations other than grading.
One such combination which is used is to combine the power unit of what is commonly called a skid loader or a front loader (loader) with a grader arch that replaces the bucket or skid unit of the loader. The ability to convert a loader to a grader is of value to landscapers, large industrial firms, parks, municipalities and the like where the cost of a dedicated grader unit is not warranted.
One deficiency seen in such combinations is that the grader attachment is a unit that can not readily be converted to use other implements such as v-plows, brushes, drags, subsoilers, trenchers, and other implements that would be of utility to landscapers and grounds maintenance personnel.